Saturday, May 30, 2009

Recent Acquisitions II: 5/30/09

Carl and the Passions, So Tough (Brother/Reprise, 2-LP, $12). This is actually a Beach Boys album under a pseudonym. The second album is a mono pressing of Pet Sounds, which after several listens, I've concluded is the first chamber pop, twee album.

Camera Obscura, My Maudlin Career (4AD, US pressing with mp3 download, new, $14). I loved the title of this album until I realized it was to be taken seriously. This album has none of the self-deprecating humor that made their previous albums so enjoyable. Not a line in it that comes close to "I should be suspended from class/I can't tell my elbow from my arse."

Sigur Ros, Agaetis byrjun (Fat Cat, UK DMM pressing, new, ???). This is a limited edition reissue that for some reason isn't available in the U.S. I had to order it from a record store in London. It cost 24 pounds plus 4 pounds for shipping. Expensive, but it's the one SR album I didn't have on vinyl. I think the title refers to a place in Middle Earth inhabited by overly earnest gay dwarves.

The Fall, Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology (Earmark, Italian pressing, 3-LP, new $33). This album just goes to show you that Pavement is really a Fall tribute band.

Sonic Youth, Goo (Geffen, German pressing, new, $20).

Dexter Gordon, Go (Blue Note/Analogue Productions, 45rpm, 180 gm pressing, 2-LP, new, $50). There's a series of classic Blue Note titles being remastered by the top remastering engineers in the business (Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray) from the original master tapes. Rudy Van Gelder reportedly rolled off the highs and lows of the recordings for the original pressings for playback on the stereo equipment of the era, which couldn't handle the frequency extremes of the master tapes. These new reissues are supposed to be more faithful to the master tapes. The sonic advantages of a 45 rpm pressing also contribute to make these the definitive pressings of these Blue Note albums. Each title is limited to 2,500 copies.

John Coltrane, Om (Impulse!, orange-and-black label, Capitol Club edition, $15). I'm convinced this isn't music. I'm still figuring out what it is. I don't know how Coltrane can make a saxophone sound like a refrigerator sliding on a tile floor.